What inspired you to start Changing the Face of Christianity Inc?

God whispered in my ear several years ago that the face of Christianity needed to change. I felt called, and I have simply answered that call by saying YES to God. Our mission is to reverse negative Christian stereotypes (such as homophobia, intolerance, judgmentalism, hypocrisy, and others) by helping Christians be more like Jesus Christ.

God prepared me well for this enormous challenge. I was an atheist for much of my adult life, yet raised in a Christian home. So I’ve seen Christianity from the outside and inside. Although many Christians are living their faith and bringing glory to God, there are far too many so-called Christians who dishonor God through their lives.

Non-Christians use the negative stereotypes we are trying to reverse as a convenient stumbling block to accepting our faith.

Non-Christians use the negative stereotypes we are trying to reverse as a convenient stumbling block to accepting our faith. I see traditional evangelism efforts falling short because most outsiders have already made their mind up because of the poor witness of Christians they know. As a secondary goal, we are trying to prepare the field (through Christians being a better witness of Jesus Christ through how we live), so that future evangelism efforts are met with openness and a positive Christian experience.

But to be clear, our main objective is not to evangelize and bring people into the faith. There are countless organizations already doing this much better than we can do. We are focused on building up those already in the faith. Helping Christians mature and transform into Christ-likeness is the key. We do believe our efforts will lead to more people accepting the faith. You bring them in, and we help build them up into mature Christians who glorify God and truly change the face of Christianity that outsiders see.

What has been the response?

The overwhelming response has been positive. But as with any organization or public position, there are those that disagree or think we are off the mark. We take the negative opinions with an open heart and an open mind. We are teachable…just like we expect other Christians to be. However, we won’t allow people who oppose us to deter us from our goal.

The people who support us agree that there are far too many people out there giving Christianity a bad name…which dishonors God.

The people who oppose us think we are just trying to be culturally relevant or watering down Christianity until the masses think it’s palatable. It’s been difficult to change their minds, but they couldn’t be more wrong. We call Sin, Sin. We don’t water down the truth of the Gospel. However, our firm belief is that we can be a Christian faith that holds strongly to our essential core beliefs…yet still loves other people who don’t live or believe as we do.

Here is one of the more controversial examples of the divide that exists. As Christians, we believe that homosexuality is a sin. You’ll never hear us say anything to the contrary. However, how should Christians treat a homosexual? Should we reject the person? Should we not try to relate to them and understand them…so that we can reach them? Should we ridicule them and shut them out of our churches? Should we kick them out of our homes and families? My opinion is no.

We should first and foremost LOVE them. Love bridges the gap between our attitudes and beliefs about homosexuals. The problem is…homosexuals don’t feel loved. They simply feel rejected. REJECTED. And it goes deeper than that. PEOPLE are rejecting them, but they feel rejected by God too. Because of what WE do to them, they feel that GOD doesn’t love them or care for them. When we take on the role of Judge on behalf of God (a role we have never been given), we send the wrong message in my opinion.

There are those that say they SHOULD be rejected because of their sin. This is where the conflict arises. You can’t reject them INTO the faith. Rejecting them won’t influence them to BE different. Love is the only way. And to speak frankly about it…we suck at loving the unlovable. In everyday practice, most Christians find it virtually impossible to hate the sin but love the sinner. Instead, what homosexuals experience is both hating the sin and feeling hated as a person.

I’ve made this point many times. We all sin. And homosexuality is just one of many sins in this fallen world.

I’ve made this point many times. We all sin. And homosexuality is just one of many sins in this fallen world. If we rejected and kicked out of our churches and families everyone who held onto a sin…any sin…our churches would be abandoned and empty. It is only through God’s grace and mercy that any of us can stand in His presence. We all struggle with something. And only through the power of the Holy Spirit are we able to change. We believe that welcoming these people with open loving arms increases the chances that the Holy Spirit can work in their lives.

But, back to your question about the response. Again, most people are incredibly supportive and feel that we are echoing their beliefs and attitudes about what must change within our Christian faith.

What have you discovered since starting CFC?

There are many Christians out there that are disgusted with what they see happening within our Christian faith. Pastors are molesting children, elders are falling into moral temptation, churches are attempting cover-ups, we see snake-oil televangelists, and overly political Christian attention seekers. Those get everyone’s attention, and unfortunately help us take the focus off of ourselves. There are far fewer Christians willing to look at themselves and seek to change through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I’ve heard stories about incredibly unchristian behavior from your average Sunday churchgoer. Such as a Campus Crusade group, or fellowship of Christian athletes group beating up or threatening someone who wasn’t willing to pray with them or convert, and people going through a divorce feeling shunned and judged instead of loved. I’ve witnessed “evangelism” conversations on facebook between Christians and non-Christians that pushed the non-Christians further away right before my very eyes.

Most of all, I’ve discovered Christians who so desperately want to SAY something to a non-Christian that they aren’t willing to LISTEN to them. Instead of earning the right to witness to them by first building a relationship, I’ve seen ineffective Christians shot down in flames because the person in front of them was treated like a manipulatable object instead of a real person.

We should evangelize, but mostly through how we live our lives. It appears we are ill-equipped to do so effectively. At Changing the Face of Christianity, we hope to change that over the long term.

What have non-believers or atheists said in regards to your organization?

It’s been interesting. The non-believers and atheists who catch the vision of what we are trying to accomplish cheer us on. They are incredibly happy that our organization is working to make a difference within the faith. Many of the atheists that we have met are FORMER Christians…or at least people who grew up in Christian homes who would have called themselves Christians at some point in their earlier lives. In many cases, these are the outspoken people who have been negatively impacted by the negative Christian stereotypes we are trying to reverse. Again, a secondary goal of our ministry is to help keep these people within the faith before they feel compelled to leave. There is a lot of work to be done in this area.

In reference to our primary goal of reversing negative Christian stereotypes, some tell us it’s a lost cause and we are wasting our time, and that Christianity and all religions need to disappear from the face of the earth. Effectively they are saying we are un-savable, so why try?

The biggest disappointment I’ve faced in talking with atheists is the incredible animosity and lack of trust that exists between us. We’ve earned the mistrust. And the animosity is a result

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The biggest disappointment I’ve faced in talking with atheists is the incredible animosity and lack of trust that exists between us. We’ve earned the mistrust. And the animosity is a result. For example, the lead sentence of most Christians in conversation with an atheist is “you are going to burn in hell.” That may be true (only God knows who is in His book of Life), but do you think presenting the Gospel in such an antagonistic way is going to warm them to the faith?

Some Christians engage in a “relationship” with a non-believer for the sole purpose of converting them. And once the job is done or they give up, the relationship is OVER! I.e. There was no relationship. They were just manipulating them without true love for the person. People see right through this disingenuous tactic and it reinforces the stereotype that we don’t truly love people. I engage with atheists for the relationship first. And if my life and example influences them positively toward the faith, then I’ve done my job.

Why is it important to look at ourselves before going out and evangelizing?

Because our credibility is actually important to those being evangelized to. If we don’t practice what we preach, why would someone want to join us? The Gospel does transcend our own behaviors. In other words, even if we don’t live up to the ideal we present, this shouldn’t stop us from witnessing to others.

However, consider an obese person trying to convince you to adopt a particular diet to lose weight. You would reject it and rightly so. Even if the diet works and was full of truth, you would dismiss it because of the messenger. So, metaphorically speaking, in the Christian faith we have a diet which works and is full of truth, but the people out selling it (evangelizing) are grossly overweight. We need to shed some pounds before the message we want to share is credible and believable. Live a life consistent with the message and although there are still some that will dismiss it as a hoax, the “diet” has more likelihood of being adopted.

I like the section on “Christians Doing Good”. How important is that?

When we started Changing the Face of Christianity, I felt it was important to present not just the bad things we do (trying to educate and convict people of the need to change), but also to present the clearly good things we do. There are so many Christians in the world doing so much good. I don’t position it as a “hey, look at us doing good”. God’s word says we should do good but don’t call attention to it for our own glory. If we do, we have already received our reward in full. However, I position it in terms of what some Christians have done, that others can take and repeat. I look for working models from one community that others can learn and apply in their own community.

I think this is very important. People are always asking the question “what can I do?” There are people out there doing it. And so if we can spread the word, help others connect with them, and encourage others to carry it forward, then we can make a difference in this world.

Do you feel the tabs you have on your menu (judgmental, intolerant, hypocritical, homophobic, etc…) open up the conversation about the Christian perception mission, and vision for the future of the Christian nation?

We are humbly shining a spotlight on our own weakness and then saying “let’s do something about it together.”

The tabs are intentionally “in your face” when you come to the site (www.changingthefaceofchristianity.com). We want to stand out as different from your average Christian ministry…because we are different. We aren’t hiding our imperfections. We are humbly shining a spotlight on our own weakness and then saying “let’s do something about it together.” It has opened up conversations that otherwise wouldn’t have happened, and we hope it opens up more in the future.

Tell us about the Christianity Quiz and how folks can take it.

You can take the Christianity Quiz at http://www.ChristianityQuiz.com. It’s a short, 10 question self-assessment to determine how Christian you are. Instead of quizzing on things like Bible trivia or academic theology, we’ve created a quiz that evaluates the Christian believer’s thoughts, words, and actions in light of scripture and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Do your thoughts, words, and actions indicate you are a spiritually mature Christian? Or do they indicate you are far from Christ, worldly, or just a “good” Christian?

We created the quiz to be a catalyst for positive change within our faith. If you score highly on the quiz, it means you are generally presenting a positive Christian image to the world by consistently living your faith. If you score lower on the quiz, it indicates there is some conflict between the teachings of Jesus Christ, Christian beliefs, and how you think and act in the real world. If you don’t score so well, we encourage you to recommit to living your life as a worthy disciple of Jesus Christ. That will take hard work and submitting to the Holy Spirit. Let us know how we can help you in that growth and maturity process.

What’s your favorite Bible verse and why?

I have several.

Mark 12:30-31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

This is my favorite verse because it’s what Jesus Christ said are the two MOST important commandments. So, if I’m not doing this…then nothing else really matters.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.”

No matter how much I learn or grow in the faith, my first priority is to trust in the Lord and walk in faith in Him. When I think myself wise, that’s when I know I’m in trouble.

When I was an atheist, I completely rested on my own understanding. I couldn’t acknowledge what I didn’t understand, namely spiritual things. Now, I use this verse to keep me humble. No matter how much I learn or grow in the faith, my first priority is to trust in the Lord and walk in faith in Him. When I think myself wise, that’s when I know I’m in trouble.

1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Love is a verb. Do it.

Anything you want to add?

I want to encourage your audience to be a part of the solution. Visit our site, learn from the articles and stories we share, share your thoughts and comments, and help us change the face of Christianity.

Finally, we can’t make a difference alone. Please share our ministry and mission with others and encourage others to get involved.

We see church small groups as a key avenue for growing mature Christians. We are piloting a new method for doing small groups that moves people from simply studying our faith to living it. If you lead or are in a small church group, contact us for more information at https://changingthefaceofchristianity.com/about/contact-us

Last week, Willow Creek Church and its association held its Global Leadership Summit; a worldwide leadership conference for Christians. Every year, this conference invites a cross section of our population to speak and share leadership principles to help improve our world. Past speakers have included Jim Collins (“Good to Great” book author), Daniel Pink, Seth Godin, Jack Welch, and others. Willow Creek invites leaders to share their not-exclusively-Christian message to A LOT of Christians worldwide. This year, Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, was invited to come, and he accepted. I have no doubt he would have shared some pearls of wisdom from his book “Onward” that sells in Starbucks stores worldwide. However, when homosexual activists protested his presence at the conference, he caved and withdrew from the speaking engagement.

So, the question this week is: Should Howard Schultz have caved to homosexual activist censorship? Other related questions that also come to mind… Was this an appropriate response? Does the homosexual community benefit from this censorship? Does the Christian community benefit from this censorship? Does Starbucks, it’s customers, employees, and stockholders benefit from this censorship? Would you have recommended he speak or stay home?

With recent events like the Oslo “Fundamentalist Christian Terrorist” bombing (as it’s being referred to in the mainstream media), how can you and I positively change the face of Christianity today? We can’t keep crazy people from doing crazy things, but you and I CAN and MUST positively influence those around us. If for no other reason, then for when people like Anders Behring Breivik do crazy things in the name of Christ, people we know will say “That’s not the Christianity I know”.

So, how can you change the face of Christianity in your own circle of influence today?

President Obama has determined that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages, is unconstitutional and should not be defended by the Justice Department. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr added “The president and I have concluded that classifications based on sexual orientation are unconstitutional.” Such classifications should be subjected to a strict legal test intended to block unfair discrimination.

President Obama concluded that classifications based on sexual orientation are unconstitutional

Some people are denouncing the decision and gay rights activists are applauding the decision. “This is a great step by the Obama administration and a tipping point for the gay rights movement that will have ripple effects in contexts beyond the Defense of Marriage Act,” said Anthony D. Romero, the executive director of the ACLU. He continues, “It will reach into issues of employment discrimination, family recognition and full equal rights for lesbian and gay people.”

What do you think about the decision?

Originally posted on http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/us/24marriage.html?scp=1&sq=obama%201996&st=cse

The Clergy have been urged to act together to expose charlatans, creating confusion through strange Bible teachings and doctrines.

It is important for all those professing to be Christians to mirror Christ-like lives and become good examples to the rest of society.

Enoch Immanuel Agbozo, an Evangelist, said the name of God and the dignity of the Church should not be allowed to be defiled by self-appointed “Ministers of the Gospel”, whose only motivation is money and self-glorification.

He said it was important for all those professing to be Christians to mirror Christ-like lives and become good examples to the rest of society.

They should uphold the values of integrity, humility, modesty and accept to live in total peace and harmony with all.

He was speaking at a three-day inter-denominational congress held at the Maranatha Evangelistic Ministries International Auditorium in Kumasi.

It was held under the theme “Crowning the King of Glory, Jesus Christ”, which brought together, leaders of the various churches and Christian societies.

Agbozo asked Christians to continue praying diligently for God’s direction and guidance in the battle against the anti-Christ and anti-Church forces in the house of God.

“The church is faced with a spiritual challenge, as there is growing attempt to disengage with Christ and replace the Ministry of the Holy Spirit with human power. Some are pursuing knowledge of human nature and natural disorder, instead of the will, way and knowledge of God.”